Seven Men Now Employed at Brick and Tile Yard. Manager N. P. Ostrum informs us that his crew for the brick yard is beginning to overhaul the machinery and do other work at the yards preparatory to an early resumption of operations. Seven men are now employed and several of the men are anxiously looking for houses which may be rented. The burner for this year will be Carl Stancer and his brother, Fred, will be machine man. W. Marks will be engineer and will move this week into the large house at the yard. He comes from Heron Lake. The other employees at this time are August Manacke, Harry Lee, Arthur Schauer, Joe Dermer and Mr. Neilson. (unknown newspaper, March 10, 1915)
N. P. Ostrum, formerly of Heron Lake, Minn., has opened a plant at Morton, Minn., where he will make brick, hollow block and drain tile. The name of the new concern is the Minnesota Clay Works Company, Inc. (Brick and Clay Record, Kenfield-Leach Company, Chicago, April 6, 1915, Volume XLVI, Number 7, Page 696)
Brick and Tile Yard Whistle Makes Music Again. The brick yard plant has been fired up this week and the music of that brick yard whistle sounds real good to all but the knockers. Real work has not yet commenced at the plant but is expected to soon now. A successful brick and tile plant at Morton again would be a big thing for the town. And the Minnesota Clay Works Co. seems likely to succeed. (unknown newspaper, April 16, 1915)
Strike at the Brick Yard. Some of our younger men who could not stand prosperity decided to go on a strike for higher wages at the Minnesota Clay Works plant the first of the week. Most of the neighboring towns would be very enthusiastic and elated if they only had such a plant as the local one but here it does not seem to be appreciated by the working men. Tuesday noon they were ready to work the plant at full blast again and are going ahead with the work in spite of the fact of sickness in the manager’s family. Mr. Ostrum is having good success with the brick and is experimenting with the larger building blocks and expects soon to have them perfected and be able to fill orders as received. A man of experience and energy like this will surely make the plant a success and he has the best wishes of all in the undertaking. (Morton Enterprise, May 14, 1915)
Minnesota Clay Works (N. P. Ostrum, manager; H. A. Sodergren, president) (The History of Renville County Minnesota, Volume II, Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge, H. C. Cooper Jr. & Company, Chicago, IL, 1916, Page 892)
Minnesota Clay Works Making Good Blocks and With Ever Increasing Rapidity. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week were record breakers at the local brick plant in the matter of large number on blocks and tile produced in a given length of time. Altho with a reduced force the largest run in the history of the plant – 1000 six inch tile per hour was maintained. Thursday’s record appears to have been even better than that. The demand for the goods is also very heavy, due to the satisfaction the 1917 product of the local yard is giving. It is true we have had some hard luck here but all will be pleased to know that this year the product is exceptionally good and is selling like hot cakes. (unknown newspaper, October 19, 1917)
Minnesota Clay Works recently closed down for the season after a run of seven months. The season was a very successful one, the shipment of the ware manufactured by this concern amounting to more than three thousand tons. The company has been very much handicapped in their work by the overflow of the Minnesota river each spring, but the fault has been remedied by the erection of a dike having a base of twenty-one feet and a height of eight feet, which surrounds the entire plant. As a precaution against the possible seepage of water through the dike, the entire plant has been tiled and reservoirs and an electric pump installed to carry off any surplus water which may enter the premises. Twenty-one men were employed practically throughout the entire season. The plant itself was under the efficient management of Carl Sodergren, assisted by Howard Redlands, who for the past few years have annually doubled the output of the concern. The plant will reopen in the spring and will operate on a slightly different basis. It is of great commercial importance that this plant is located here and with a few other thriving industries of this kind, Morton could easily become one of the leading industrial centers in this part of the country. – Morton Enterprise of Dec. 17th. (The Franklin Tribune, Franklin, Minnesota, Thursday, December 23, 1920)
Page 587. Believes in Local Advertising. Printed below is a letter and fac-simile of advertising copy used by the Minnesota Clay Works, of Morton, Minn., which shows how this concern has used items appearing in Brick and Clay Record to aid in the promotion of their products. "Clay Products: I wisht I was a Li’l brick, A-settin’ on a sil-, A-doin’ nothing all day long, But jes’ a-settin still. I wouldn’t eat, I wouldn’t think, I wouldn’t even wash. I’d set and set a thousand years-, ’nd rest myself b’gosh. Courtesty of "Brick and Clay Record." Minnesota Clay Works, Manufacturers, Morton, Minnesota." "Replying to your letter of March 2, we wish to thank you for permission to use material that has appeared in the Brick and Clay Record, to promote the sale of clay products in our territory. "We are pleased to enclose herewith a clipping which we
Page 588. ran in our local paper this week. This little poem appeared in one of last year’s Brick and Clay Records. "We are now looking thru our old Brick and Clay Records for other suggestive material that would be of help to promote the sale of clay products. We will be pleased to send you further clippings or papers in which the Brick and Clay Record has helped us." There are many items published in Brick and Clay Record thruout the year that could be used very handily as suggestions or incorporated in copy for advertisements. It seems that too few clay men realize the value of advertising of a local nature to connect up with the national advertising now carried on by various branches of the industry, and as a result this phase is often neglected. (Brick and Clay Record, Industrial Publications, Inc., Chicago, IL, April 5, 1921, Volume 58, Number 7)
List of Hollow Tile Manufacturers Present. …; A. E. Redland, Minnesota Clay Works, Morton, Minn.; …; C. E. Sodergren, Minnesota Clay Works, Morton, Minn.; … (Brick and Clay Record, Industrial Publications, Inc., Chicago, IL, February 7, 1922, Volume 60, Number 3, Page 200)
Morton Brick Yards Going In Full Blast. The Minnesota Clay Works, one of the most important factors in making Morton famous, is now operating at full blast and has been for the last two weeks. Thirty men are now employed with additional help being added practically every day to produce the products which are sold far in advance. Head offices are located in Minneapolis, where H. A. Sodergren, the president is located. Carl Sodergren, the secretary, also makes his headquarters in that city. Carl arrived in Morton, Monday, and is looking after the business interests this week. M. J. Carleton is the manager and O. P. Lofquist, the foreman. They began burning the first kiln Tuesday and expect to start the second about Saturday when it will be filled. It will be but a short time before all of the six kilns will be burning. The Minnesota Clay Works is the only plant in the northwest making a light range face brick, and their product is in great demand. Their nearest competitor is at Brazil, Indiana. Some of the places where this brick has been used recently are: A $30,000 home in Minneapolis on Minnehaha Parkway; a $200,000 Apartment house in Minneapolis, many bungalows and stores in the twin cities; the hospital at Hendricks, Minn., the hotel at Marshall and a large factory building at Aberdeen, S. D. – Morton Enterprise. (O. Times?, May 6, 1926)